It was an unprecedented agreement, fully embraced by both parties. And when pen went to paper it was to the sound of cheers and the sight of tears.

From the room in which the signing took place, to the streets and communities of the Bay Area, all traces of trepidation were obscured by the joy of reunion.

The Raiders were back in Oakland, where they had received such loyal support and where so many locals believed they always belonged. A wrong was righted, sins were forgiven.

Yet 15 years to the day after Raiders boss Al Davis strolled into the Coliseum exhibition hall and officially brought the Raiders back to their original home, it is evident the deal that began with such immense promise has not lived up to it.

Oakland — with the Coliseum board unanimously approving a 16-year lease and a $31.9 million loan to the Raiders — thought it was getting the ultra-successful NFL franchise it once knew and cherished.

The Raiders trusted they were getting a fortified fan base, with a new generation joining longtime supporters to revive the home-field advantage that had served them so well in years past.

Neither side is getting what it expected. The civic partnership that began with such palpable enthusiasm has drifted into a coexistence of uneasy peace.

How could the city of Oakland, the Raiders and their fans have known that such an inspired concept would get derailed along the road to reality?

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Wearing a pinstriped suit, hair perfectly coiffed, Davis sat before an excited crowd on June 23, 1995, and scribbled his signature, marking the team's return from Los Angeles.

Davis went south in 1982 in search of the stadium upgrade he wanted in Oakland. When L.A. and other Southern California municipalities also failed to deliver a facility, the Raiders owner explored his options and returned to the scene of his greatest triumphs.

Though some Bay Area Raiders fans, stung by the departure, cursed Al, vowing never to support anything involving the man, many still rooted for the team. They sat glued to games on TV. Some even made their way to games at the L.A. Coliseum. Oakland missed its association with the Raiders; Sundays in the East Bay were not the same.

Though the 49ers had flourished in the absence of the Raiders, few fans of the Silver-and-Black would shift their loyalties. Most couldn't stomach the thought of giving up the blue-collar Raiders for the finesse team in San Francisco. It was like turning on family to live with the enemy.

Davis understood the connection, knew the intensity of the fans, played on their desires.

Then, too, he thought returning would help him win. Davis considered the Oakland Coliseum capable of providing the Raiders an advantage worth almost a touchdown per game. So, with few reservations, he made the deal.

And it was six seasons before the Raiders would post a winning record in Oakland. They are 97-143 since returning, have failed to reach the playoffs in 12 of 15 seasons and are in the throes of the worst seven-year span — a 29-83 record — in NFL history.

Insofar as Davis' only measure of success is winning the Super Bowl, the return has been a complete and utter failure.

Moreover, it precipitated an era in which the Coliseum, once the home of champions, has become a house without distinction. The Raiders and the A's, who combined for five world championships — two Super Bowls, three World Series — in the 15 years after the Coliseum was built, have won none since the return of the Raiders.

Renovating the Coliseum to make it more suitable for NFL football, though grudgingly agreed to by the A's, alienated the baseball team and some of its fans. The A's desire to leave is a by-product of the Raiders' return.

Meanwhile, the words of Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, speaking out as the Raiders left L.A., seem chillingly prophetic.

Davis hasn't exactly faded away. He's still swinging, still roaring, but unable to rediscover and maintain the magic touch he had during his first run in Oakland. His star is considerably dimmer than it was in 1995.

Bringing a team back to the city of its origin was a first in major American sports. Davis did it. He meant well. So did Oakland.